Pointer for photo retouching pencils



June 27, 1950 H. LE R. ADAMS POINTER FOR PHOTO RETOUCHING PENCILS Filed July 17, 1948 Hlll. 'lluumu.

INVENTOR. H4 RR) Za/Pov Ali/1M5.

ATT'DRNEY Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES v PATENT eF =1es- .j;

POINTER Foe PHOTO RE'IOUCHING I PENCILS Harry Le Roy Adam s, Denver, Colo. Application July 17, 1948, Serial No. 39,293 2 Claims. (01. 12095) This invention relates to a pencil sharpener and more particularly to a pencil sharpener for sharpening the long pencil leads employed in photographic retouching pencils. Retouching pencils are sharpened with an exceedingly long pointed lead from'l to 3" in length; These lon leads must be accuratelytapered to very fine points. It is an exceedingly difi'icult and time consuming operation to taper-these leads to the desired taper and the operation must be constantly repeated durin the retouching operation. The principal object of this invention 'is to provide a sharpener for quickly, easily and accurately forming a long pointed taper on the lead of the retouchin pencil.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and eiflciency. These will become more apparent from the following description. 1

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved retouching pencil lead sharpener;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section therethrough taken on the line 2--2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3--3, Fi 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 44, Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating an abrasive disc mounting employed in the improved sharpener.

The improved retouching pencil lead sharpener is supported from a base I0, which may be attached to any suitable supporting surface in any desired manner.

A bifurcated bracket H extends from the base I to support the sharpener mechanism. A circular end plate [2 is secured to and clamped against the bracket leg II by means of a clamp screw l3 which slides into the furcation in the bracket II. A cup-shaped housing It is permanently attached around its open end to the periphery of the plate I2 so as to be supported by the latter. The housing It is provided with an open window I in its side.

An operating shaft l6 extends throughout the length of the housing 14 to one side of the axis thereof. The shaft I6 is rotatably mounted in the plate l2 and at its one extremity is threaded 2 I into a rotatable shaft nut 11 which is mounted in the head of the housing I4. The shaft l6 terminates at its other extremityiin'asuitable manual crank l8. l v

A shaft block l9is rotatably mounted'about the shaft l6 adjacent the plate 12. The shaft block l9 supports a stub'shaft 20 which is threaded into a tapped hole in the side of the'block" t9. The outer extremity of the stub shaft 20 projects throughthewindow I5. I; r

"A toothed bevel pinion 25is ro'tatably mounted on the stub "shaft 20" against the block l9."v The pinion 25 has'an ielongated hub-over whichfia threaded sleeve 2| is forced. The sleeve, 2| Icarries a flange 22 againstwhich 'a circular abrasive disc 23; of sand paper,'emery cloth or theilike, is clamped by means'of a clamp nut'24 which is threaded on sleeve 2|. The entire; assembly is preventedfrom moving outward bymea'ns of a shoulder flange 33 formed on the shaft 20,5. The outer extremity; of the. shaft, 20. is preferably flattened to formla finger grip 35." A 7 H The pinion 25 is in constant mesh with a bevel gear 26 which is locked on the shaft 5, against the end of the block l9, by means of a suitable set screw 34. The gear 26 is relatively longer than the pinion 25 so that rotation of the crank l8 results in rapidly whirling the abrasive disc 23.

The pencil to be sharpened, indicated in broken line at C, is passed through a rubber sleeve 21 contained within a rotary collet tube 28 which rotates within a tubular bearing 29 fixedly mounted in the head of the housing [4. A wedge bushing 30 is threaded into the outer end of the collet tube 28. The extremities of the rubber sleeve 21 are tapered and the inner diameters of the collet tube 28 and the bushing 30 are also tapered so that when the bushing 30 is threaded into collet tube 28, the rubber sleeve 21 will be radially expanded to grip the pencil.

A driven gear 32 is mounted on the collet tube 28 within the housing [4 and is in constant mesh with a drive gear 3| which is threaded on the extremity of the shaft [6, so that, as the crank [13 is rotated the collet tube 28 and the pencil therein will be similarly rotated in an opposite direction and at substantially the same speed.

In use, the pencil is passed through the rubber sleeve 21 until its elongated lead overlies the abrasive disc 23, as indicated at the broken line at A in Fig. 1.

The bushing 30 is then tightened to cause the rubber sleeve to grip the pencil. The stub shaft 20 is supported by the fingers of the operator and the crank I8 is rotated. The extremity of the stub shaft is lowered bringing the upper surface of the abrasive disc 23 in contact with the lead A. By controlling the amount of rotation of the crank l8 and the amount of pressure on the stub shaft 20 the degree of grinding can be accurately controlled and bring the lead A to a sharp accurate point.

It is desired to call attention to the fact that the stub shaft 20 does not extend at an exact right angle to the'axis of the shaftlfi. The axis of the former is inclined toward the pencil extremity of the sharpener at approximately 3, as

indicated by the broken lines Bin-Fig. 3. 'I'hisinclines the abrasive disc 23 from the axis of the pencil to produce an accurate six degree point on the pencil lead.

It is also desired to call attentionto thefact that the amount of grinding can be accurately controlled by raising or lowering the protruding extremity of the stub shaft 20. This shaft must be lifted as the-pencil issinsertediso \that the weight'thereof will cause th6 diSC',tO,bEal against the pencil lead-A.

While a specific form of the improvement:has been described and illustratedhereimiit is desired to be understood. thatlthe same may :be varied, within the scope; of 'theeappended-gclaims, without departing; from the-spirit :of the invention;

Having thus described the: invention, what is claimed and desired securedrby LetterssPatent is:

1. A sharpening device for. pencil=leads .comprising: a support housing; an ;operating:-shaft rotatably mounted insaid housing; means-for rotating said shaft a'drive: gear carried by: said shaft; a 'driven'gear inrmesh with said drive gear; a-tubular pencil gripping member. carrying said-driven gear and being rotatabletherewith, said gripping member being: rotatabl mounted in said housing with its axis parallel. to and to one sided said operatingshaft; ablock-member mounted on said operating. shaft,thelatter.be-

ing rotatable in the former; a stub shaft extending outwardly from said block; an abrasive disc rotatably mounted on said stub shaft; and means for transmitting rotation from said operating shaft to said abrasive disc.

2. A sharpening device for pencil leads comprising: a supporting housing; an operating shaft rotatably mounted in said housing; means for rotatingsaid shaft: a .drive gear carried by said shaft; a driven gear in mesh-with'said drive gear; a tubular pencil gripping member carrying said "driven gear and being rotatable therewith, said gripping memberibeing rotatably mounted in said 'housing with its axis parallel to and to one side of said operating shaft; a block member mounted-on said operating shaft, the latter being rotatableinth-e former; a stub shaft extending out- REFERENCES CITED "The-following-references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATESv PATENTS Number Name Date 402,715. Black -May 7, 1889 745,721 Fetzer .Dec. 1, 1903 1,008,949 Canode ;Nov. 14, 1911 1,545,408 Drummond .July 7,1925 627,243 Kowol May 3, 1927 2,146,288 De Lisle Feb..7, 1939 

